most glorious Hierarchs, * as eternally luminous stars of the spiritual firmament * you have illumined the world, O most honorable ones, * and enlightened the universe with the dogmas of the Orthodox faith * and thus driven away the darkness of heresies. * O Hierarchs, entreat the Lord that those who in faith celebrate your all-honored memory * may be delivered from all adversities.

W

ith the brightness of the Spirit * you have enlightened the world, * and appearing unto all as light-bestowing suns * beaming dogmatic truth unto all the ends of the world, * you enlighten the hearts of the faithful, * O most blessed God-bearers, * and by the power of Him Who shone forth from the Virgin * you drive away the darkness of heresies.

O

most blessed ones, * with the staff of your dogmas you have driven the spiritual wolves far from the Church of Christ, * and encompassing her with a spiritual rampart, * you present her whole and unconquerable unto Christ; * Pray Him that those who in faith celebrate your all-honored memory * may be delivered from all defilement and dangers.

Glory ..., Now & Ever ..., The Theotokion:

O most holy Bride of God! * Deliver my humble soul from the condemnation of my wicked deeds * and by thy prayers deliver me from spiritual death; * Grant me in the day of judgement * to be worthy of the justification obtained by the assemblies of saints, * and before my end present me cleansed * through repentance and the shedding of copious tears.

The Stavrotheotokion:

Seeing Christ, the Lover of mankind, * crucified and with a lance pierced in His side, * thou O all-pure One lamented, crying out: * 'What is this, O my Son ? * What did the ungrateful people render unto Thee * in return for all the good things Thou hast rendered unto them ?' * And yet so lovingly dost Thou show thy care for me * that I may endure my childlessness. * I stand in awe, O Compassionate One, at Thy voluntary crucifixion

If an Idiomelon be appointed. Glory ..., In Tone VI:

O ye men of God and faithful servants, * ministers of the Lord, * most esteemed Hierarchs, * select vessels, and pillars supporting the Church, * heirs of the kingdom, * never cease to intercede before the Lord on our behalf.

Now & Ever ..., In Tone VI:

If the Celebration be with a Polyeleos, and not a Resurrection Service, sing the following Dogmatic of In Tone VI [If the service is a Resurrection service sing the Dogmatic of the In Tone for that service ]:

Who will not call thee blessed, * O all-holy Virgin? * Who will not hymn thy child-birth without labor? * For the only-begotten Son, who shone forth from the Father before time, * came forth ineffably incarnate from thee, O pure Maiden. * By nature he is God, by nature for our sakes, he hath become man * not divided in a duality of persons, * but known without confusion in a duality of natures. * O all-honored and all-blessed one, implore him to have mercy on our souls.

Otherwise, Theotokion:

We have come to know God * who was incarnate of thee, * O Virgin Theotokos; * entreat Him that our souls be saved.

The Stavrotheotokion:

Beholding Thee crucified, O Christ, * she that bare Thee cried aloud: * What strange mystery is that that I see, O my Son! * How can Thou, who art the Giver of life, * die while in the flesh, * and hung upon the tree.

The Entrance. The Prokeimenon of the day. The 3 Readings

The Reading from the Book of Proverbs [3, 13-16; 8, 6]

The memory of the just is praised, and the blessing of the Lord is upon his head. Blessed is the man who hath found wisdom, and the mortal who knoweth prudence. For it is better to traffic for her, than for treasures of gold and silver. And she is more valuable than precious stones: no precious thing is equal to her in value. For length of existence and years of life are in her right hand; and in her left hand are wealth and glory: out of her mouth righteousness proceedeth, and she carrieth law and mercy upon her tongue. Hearken to me, O children, for I will speak solemn truths. Blessed is the man who shall keep my ways; for my outgoings are the outgoings of life, and in them is prepared favor from the Lord. Ye, O men, do I exhort; and utter my voice to the sons of men. I, wisdom, have built up; upon counsel, knowledge and understanding have I called. Counsel and safety are mine; prudence is mine, and strength is mine. I love those that love me; they that seek me shall find grace. O ye simple, understand subtlety, and ye that are untaught, imbibe knowledge. Hearken unto me again; for I will speak solemn truths. For my throat shall meditate truth; and false lips are an abomination before me. All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing in them wrong or perverse. They are all evident to those that understand, and right to those that find knowledge. For I will instruct you in truth, that your hope may be in the Lord, and ye may be filled with the Spirit.

The Reading from the Book of Proverbs [10, 31-32 ; 11, 1-10].

The mouth of the righteous droppeth wisdom: but the tongue of the unjust shall perish. The lips of just men drop grace: but the mouth of the ungodly is perverse. False balances are an abomination before the Lord: but a just weight is acceptable unto Him. Wherever pride entereth, there will also disgrace: but the mouth of the humble doth meditate wisdom. The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but the overthrow of the rebellious shall spoil them. Possessions shall not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness will deliver from death. When a just man dieth, he leaveth regret: but the destruction of the ungodly is speedy and causeth joy. Righteousness traceth out blameless paths: but ungodliness encountereth unjust dealing. The righteousness of upright men delivereth them: but transgressors are caught in their own destruction. At the death of a just man his hope doth not perish: but the boast of the ungodly perisheth. A righteous man escapeth from a snare, and the ungodly man is delivered up in his place. In the mouth of ungodly men is a snare for citizens: but the understanding of righteous men is prosperous. In the prosperity of righteous men a city prospereth, but at the destruction of the wicked there is exultation. At the blessing of the upright a city shall be exalted, but by the mouths of ungodly men it is overthrown. A man void of understanding sneereth at his fellow citizens: but a sensible man is quiet.

The Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon [4, 7-15.]

Though the righteous man happen to die, yet shall he rest in peace. For honorable age is not that which is so for a length of time, nor that which is measured by the number of years. But wisdom and a spotless life to a ripe old age is the true gray hair of a man. He pleased God, and was beloved of Him, so that living among sinners he was taken away. Yea, speedily was he taken up, lest wickedness should pervert his understanding, or deceit beguile his soul. For the beguilement of transgression doth obscure things that are good, and the wanderings of lust doth undermine the innocent mind. Made perfect in a short time, he fulfilled many years; for his soul pleased the Lord; therefore the Lord hastened to take him away from among the wicked. This the people saw, and did not understand, neither did they lay this up in their hearts, that grace and mercy is with His saints, and that the Lord doth visit His chosen ones.

At the Aposticha, these Stichera: In Tone I:

Spec. Mel.:

All praised Martyrs.

L

et us today worthily praise the divine and God-inspired Hierarchs, * wise in the Spirit, * spiritual trumpets of God, * divine mirrors, who grant unto us the golden streams of their instructions. * Pray unto Christ that He may grant unto our souls peace and great mercy.

Stichos:

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.

Let us worthily make melody * and in hymns praise the intellectual fonts of the divine and holy faith, * the golden-streamed rivers, * the brilliant lights, * the champions Trinitarion, * the receptacles of the grace of the Holy Spirit, * the immovable pillars and supports of the Church.

Let us today praise the mysterious trumpets of the Spirit, * the God-bearing Fathers * who, in the midst of the Church, * sang the Hypostatical hymns of the theology Trinitarion, * immutably One both in essence and Divinity, * the victors over heresies * and champions of the Orthodox, * who without ceasing pray unto God that our souls may be saved.

Now & Ever ..., In Tone VI:

If the celebration be with a Polyeleos, sing the Theotokion of the Resurrection:

Christ the Lord, my Creator and Deliverer, * Who came forth from thy womb, O all-pure one, * and clothed Himself in my nature, * hath freed Adam from the former curse. * Wherefore, like the angel we unceasingly cry out to thee, O all-pure one, * who art truly the Mother of God and Virgin: * Rejoice!, O Sovereign Lady, * the intercession, protection and salvation for our souls!

Otherwise, Theotokion:

O Theotokos, * thou art the true vine * that budded forth the fruit of life, * thee do we entreat O Sovereign Lady: * Pray, together with the holy Martyrs, * that great mercy * may be granted unto our souls.

The Stavrotheotokion:

The all-pure one seeing Thee hung on the cross * with motherly tears cried out unto Thee: * ‘O my Son and my God, * O my sweetest Child, * how is it that Thou sufferest * such a shameful death?’

The Troparion from the Typicon, but if there be no Typicon, sing the following:

Troparion, In Tone IV:

O God of our Fathers, * who ever dealest with us according to Thy loving-kindness, * withdraw not Thy mercy from us, * but by the intercessions of our Holy Fathers * direct our lives in peace.

Glory ..., Now & Ever ..., Theotokion In Tone IV:

The mystery hidden from all ages * and unknown to the ranks of Angels, * hath been revealed to those on earth through thee, O Theotokos: * God being made flesh in a union without confusion, * and willingly accepting the Cross for us * hath through it raised the first-formed man, * and thus saved our souls from death.

The Dismissal:

AT MATINS

At "God is the Lord ...", the same Troparion [twice]. Glory ..., Now & Ever ..., The Theotokion.

After the 1st Kathisma the Sedalion: In Tone V:

Spec. Mel.:

The Co-unoriginate Word.

A

s royal adornments of the Church * let us praise the Hierarchs of the Lord [Names], * the inexhaustible treasuries of His dogmas, * for through them Christ Himself hath instructed us to honor the Holy Trinity, * united in essence and divided in persons. [Twice]

Glory ..., Now & Ever ..., Theotokion:

O most holy Virgin, * have mercy upon us who in faith flee unto thee, * and implore thy warm protection, * O all-compassionate one, * for, as one tender-hearted and the Mother of God Most High, * thou art able to save all, * O thou who art ever embracing in thy motherly intercessions, * as one who hath been greeted by God.

After the 2nd Kathisma, the Sedalion: In Tone III:

Spec. Mel.:

Of the divine.

O

divinely inspired Hierarchs! * you have been revealed as pillars of the Church * and inexhaustible treasuries of piety, * your lives have been made illustrious through dispassion * and the expounding of the dogmas Trinitarion. * O holy Fathers! Entreat Christ God that our souls may be saved. [Twice]

Glory ..., Now & Ever ..., Theotokion:

Without divesting Himself of His divine nature, * God became flesh in thy womb; * and remaining God after His Incarnation, * preserved thee, His mother and Virgin, * without blemish, as thou wast before birth. * Being One and the same Lord, * ever entreat Him to grant unto us great mercy.

After the Polyeleos, the Megalynarion:

We magnify you, O great Hierarchs, and honor your holy memory, for you pray for us to Christ our God.

Stichos:

Hearken unto this, all ye nations.

After the Polyeleos, the Sedalion: In Tone IV:

Let the most wise teachers of the universe, * who have glorified God with their deeds and words on earth, * be magnified today as the mediators of salvation unto us. [Twice]

Glory ..., Now & Ever ..., Theotokion:

O invincible defender of the assaulted * and fervent protectress of those who put their trust in thee, * deliver me from dangers, * for thou art the succor of all.

If not a Resurrection Service, Sing the following for the Graduals.

The 1st Antiphon of the 4th Tone:

From my youth * do many passions war against me; * but do Thou Thyself defend * and save me, O my Savior.

Y

e haters of Zion * shall be shamed by the Lord; * for like grass, by the fire * shall ye be withered.

G

lory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, * both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

I

n the Holy Spirit, * every soul is quickened, * and, through cleansing, is exalted * and made radiant by the Triple Unity in a hidden sacred manner.

The Prokeimenon, In Tone VII: [Psalm 115:6,3]

The Prokeimenon:

Precious in the sight of the Lord * is the death of His saints.

Stichos:

What shall I render unto the Lord for all that he hath rendered unto me?

Let every breath.

The Holy Gospel according to St. John the Theologian [Jn. 10, 1-9]

The Lord said: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

After the 50th Psalm:

Glory:

Through the intercessions of the Holy Hierarchs…

Both now:

Through the intercessions of the Theotokos…

Have mercy upon us:

Then the Sedalion:

In Tone VI:

O holy Fathers! * The sound of your exhortations has gone forth throughout all the world, * and now in heaven you enjoy the reward of your labors; * For annihilating the armies of the demons, * you have reached the habitations of the Angels, * whom you blamelessly emulated in your lives. * Since you possess great boldness before the Lord, * beseech Him that we may obtain peace for our souls.

The Canon, In Tone VIII:

ODE I

Irmos:

Let us sing unto the Lord * Who hath led His people through the Red sea, * for He alone hath gloriously been victorious.

Refrain:

Holy Hierarchs [names] pray to God for us

A

s most wise Hierarchs you have shone forth in the world, resplendent with the divine dogmas of the King who reigneth over all; wherefore let us hymn Christ, for He alone hath been victorious.

A

s ones who shone forth in the world with the light of piety and dispersed the darkness of wickedness, let us, O faithful, reverence the great and all-honorable Hierarchs.

A

s ones who stand with the Angels before the Unapproachable King, pray, O ye sacred and God-bearing preachers, that we who lovingly celebrate your holy memory, may be granted the remission of our sins.

Theotokion:

As one who conceived the pre-eternal and Unoriginate Word of the Father, and above all expression brought Him forth in the flesh, O most holy one pray continually that we may be delivered from all dangers.

ODE III

Irmos:

Thou who in the beginning established the heavens in wisdom * and founded the earth upon the waters, * O Christ, establish me upon the rock of Thy commandments, * for there is none holy but Thee, O only Lover of mankind.

O holy and God-bearing ones, with true abstinence and steadfast prayer you ascended on high to the lofty city of virtues, where you are ever nourished by the streams of divine knowledge.

A

s ones possessing boldness before God, O holy Hierarchs, supplicate Him on behalf of us who in faith hymn your memory, that we may be saved.

A

s teachers of the devout dogmas and declarers of true and wise words, O holy ones, you obtained victory over heresies.

Theotokion:

As the heaven and throne of God we all hymn thee, O Parent of God, most pure Virgin, for from thee hath appeared Jesus Christ, in Truth our salvation.

The Sedalion: In Tone III:

O blessed ones, you have truly appeared as precious Icons of abstinence * and hallowed riches of piety, * illumining your lives with dispassion * and enriching with mercy those asking it of you; * O holy Fathers, pray to Christ our God that we may be granted great mercy.

Glory ..., Now & Ever ..., Theotokion:

All have the freedom * to make recourse unto whomever grants them salvation, * and what other recourse can there be, O Theotokos, * that shelters our souls, * other than thee?

The Stavrotheotokion:

Thou didst acquire as a staff of strength the cross of thy Son, * O Virgin Theotokos, * with which we subdue the rage of enemies * and unceasingly and lovingly magnify thee.

ODE IV

Irmos:

I have heard, O Lord, the mystery of Thy plan, * and I contemplate Thy works * and glorify Thy divine nature.

Let us all praise in hymns the most wise Hierarchs, crying O God-bearing Fathers! earnestly pray that we may be saved.

P

ossessing in you, O truly God-blessed and most wise teachers and Hierarchs, devout establishers and expounders of the divine dogmas, we praise you in hymns and spiritual odes.

Y

our sacred memory, O holy Hierarchs of the Lord, our instructors and nourishers, we the faithful celebrate in hymns and spiritual odes.

Theotokion:

O unmarried Bride, pure Mother of Christ God, who knew not wedlock, unceasingly pray Him to save the souls of those that hymn thee.

ODE V

Irmos:

Rising early we cry to Thee, O Lord; * save us, for Thou art our God, * and we know none other than Thee.

O Divinely-wise ones, as shepherds you have anointed yourselves with the ointment of piety, wherefore as Hierarchs we all honor you, O God-bearers.

E

mulating the Apostles in labors and vigilance, you, O Divinely-wise and glorious ones, have presided over the peoples of the Church.

E

mulating Isaiah the zealous and Moses the God-seer, you have, O God-seeing Fathers, put to shame the heresiarchs .

Theotokion:

O come all ye faithful, let us, together with the Angels, bless the God-blessed one, the Queen who hath given birth unto the King of all.

Ye have adorned the glory of the Church, O blessed Fathers, with your divine dogmas, and eradicated heresies with all their roots.

O

glorious teachers, you have shone unto all creation as lights of piety, and by the beauty of dogma, subdued heresies with the word of God.

I

nstead of the weapons of war you made use of speech and the written word, with which, O holy ones, you cut off all the strange teachings of heresies and clearly expounded the dogma Trinitarion to all.

Theotokion:

Born of the Virgin, O Christ God, Thou hast, enlightened the world; do Thou, as the Lover of mankind, also deliver me from my many transgressions, and, I implore Thee, set my life aright.

The Kontakion from the Typicon; but if there be no Typicon, sing the following:

Kontakion, In Tone VIII:

Spec. Mel.:

As the first fruits.

A

s teachers of virtue and adornments of the Church's Hierarchy, * the Church glorifies you in hymns; * We beseech you, as ones invincible, to intercede on behalf of us who lovingly honor you * that we be granted progress in virtues and release from temptations.

The Ikos:

O divine Hierarchs, You have appeared as rivers of piety that fill the world with the streams of your dogmas, and with the gentle rain of your miracles, you wash away the filth of the passions, wherefore you worthily inherited the nourishing stream of the Holy Spirit; wherefore we, gathered together today, reverently honor you with hymns, and in faith cry out unto you as ones invincible; Pray unceasingly for us all to Christ God.

ODE VII

Irmos:

Unto Thee, who in the beginning established the earth * and by Thy word made the heavens firm, * do we sing; 'Blessed art Thou unto the ages, * O Lord God of our Fathers'.

Lord, Thou didst extinguish the flame of passions and divinely bedew the souls of the devout youths in the fiery furnace who cried out; 'Blessed art Thou unto the ages, O God of our Fathers'.

O

Ye Hierarchs, having labored in abstinence, vigilance and true faith; remember us all.

Theotokion:

Unto Thee, Who for our sake wast born of the Virgin and hast delivered the world from the enemy, do we sing; 'Blessed art Thou unto the ages, O God of our Fathers'.

ODE VIII

Irmos:

He who was glorified on the holy mountain * and revealed in the bush through fire unto Moses * hath shown unto us the mystery of the Ever-Virgin, * wherefore we hymn the Lord and exalt Him unto all the ages.

Like unto Moses, the God-bearing Fathers have ascended the cloudy mountain of dispassion and, as Hierarchs, obtained the spiritual law of grace; wherefore we hymn Christ unto all the ages.

O

holy ones, You have well tended the flock of Christ, escaping the bondage of Egypt, and eluding the passions of Babylon, wherefore ye now make your abode above in Zion unto all the ages.

W

ith words and deeds of piety anointed as if with myrrh, O divine Hierarchs, you perform sacred and divine acts, hymning the Trinity one in essence unto all the ages.

Theotokion:

Unto Him who dwelt in the womb of the holy Virgin and ineffably restored Adam, do we hymn and exalt unto all the ages.

ODE IX

Irmos:

In unceasing hymns we magnify the birth-giving of the Ever-Virgin * unto the salvation of us the faithful, * which was revealed unto the lawgiver upon the mountain * in the fire and the bush that remained unconsumed.

O most wise Hierarchs, who in acquiring dispassion and in faith, hope and love, revealed unto us the words of eternal life, pray that our souls may be saved.

A

ll-honored Hierarchs, you have well tended thy flock with the staff of the Holy Spirit, and have driven away from the Church of God the heresies of God's enemies; wherefore we praise you in hymns.

I

n hymns and spiritual odes we unceasingly honor you as lights of the Church, O holy Hierarchs, and we worthily magnify the shrine of your relics, O blessed Fathers.

Let us praise the God-bearing Fathers as brightly-shining rays of light, * clearer than those of the sun, * for they shine as lamps of the Origin of light, the Holy Trinity, * and of the three-rayed Unity commingled above nature. [Twice]

Glory ..., Now & Ever ..., Theotokion:

We ever bless thee in song, O Virgin, * for thou O Theotokos hast, * given birth to One Trinitarion, * and didst bear in thy divine arms the most plenteous Word, * unchangeable and immutable.

With Lauds, the Stichera, In Tone VI:

Spec. Mel.:

Of three days.

T

hrough the Apostles and Hierarchs * grace hath overcome, and faith hath been strengthened, * all things are filled with the knowledge of God, * and we are enriched with the gift of salvation. [Twice]

et the wisest teachers of the universal Church, * who have glorified God by word and deed here on earth, * be magnified today * as the presenters of salvation unto us all.

Glory ..., In Tone VI:

You were good and faithful servants, * industrious workers of the vineyard of Christ, * who endured well the burden of your day's work, * and increased the talent given you, bearing no ill-will to those who came after you; * wherefore the gate of heaven was opened unto you; * and entering therein, you partake of the joys of Christ, the Master, * wherefore we beseech you to pray for us, O holy Hierarchs.

Now & Ever ..., Theotokion:

O Theotokos, * thou art the true vine that hath budded forth for us the Fruit of life. * To thee we pray: * Intercede O Lady, * together with the Holy Apostles, * that our souls find great mercy.

The Stavrotheotokion:

The all-pure one seeing Thee hung on the cross * with motherly tears cried out unto Thee: * ‘O my Son and my God, * O my sweetest Child, * how is it that Thou sufferest * such a shameful death?’

The Doxology:

If the service be with the Great Doxology, but not a Resurrection service, the Troparion is sung after the Doxology:

Troparion, In Tone IV:

O God of our Fathers, * who ever dealest with us according to Thy loving-kindness, * withdraw not Thy mercy from us, * but by the intercessions of our Holy Fathers * direct our lives in peace.

The Dismissal:

AT THE LITURGY

Typika and Beatitudes.

1.

O holy and God-bearing ones, with true abstinence and steadfast prayer you ascended on high to the lofty city of virtues, where you are ever nourished by the streams of divine knowledge.

2.

As ones possessing boldness before God, O holy Hierarchs, supplicate Him on behalf of us who in faith hymn your memory, that we may be saved.

3.

As teachers of the devout dogmas and declarers of true and wise words, O holy ones, you obtained victory over heresies.

4.

Ye have adorned the glory of the Church, O blessed Fathers, with your divine dogmas, and eradicated heresies with all their roots.

5.

O glorious teachers, you have shone upon all creation as lights of piety, and by the beauty of dogmas, subdued heresies with the word of God.

6.

Instead of the weapons of war, you made use of speech and the written word, with which, O holy ones, you cut off all the strange teachings of heresies and clearly expounded the dogma Trinitarion to all.

7.

Omost wise Hierarchs, who in acquiring dispassion and in faith, hope and love, revealed unto us the words of eternal life, pray that our souls may be saved.

8.

All-honored Hierarchs, you have well tended thy flock with the staff of the Holy Spirit, and have driven away from the Church of God the heresies of God's enemies; wherefore we praise you in hymns.

The Troparion and Kontakion from the Typicon; but if there be no Typicon, sing the following:

Troparion, In Tone IV:

O God of our Fathers, * who ever dealest with us according to Thy loving-kindness, * withdraw not Thy mercy from us, * but by the intercessions of our Holy Fathers * direct our lives in peace.

Kontakion, In Tone VIII:

Spec. Mel.:

As the first fruits.

A

s teachers of virtue and adornments of the Church's Hierarchy, * the Church glorifies you in hymns; * We beseech you, as ones invincible, to intercede on behalf of us who lovingly honor you * that we be granted progress in virtues and release from temptations.

Prokeimenon, In Tone VII, [Psalm 115:6,3]

Precious in the sight of the Lord * is the death of His saints.

Stichos:

What shall I render unto the Lord for all that He hath rendered unto me?

The Epistle of St. Paul to the Galations

[Heb. 13: 17-21]

Brethren: Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly. But I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner. Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

For the Lord hath elected Zion; He hath chosen Her to be a habitation for Himself.

The Holy Gospel according to St. Mathew

[Math. 5:14-19]

T

he Lord spake unto His disciples saying: Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the Prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Communion Verse: [Psalm 111:6, 7]

In everlasting remembrance shall the righteous be; He shall not be afraid of evil tidings.